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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · safe · prune · coach · swing · squash · mine · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. swing — in golf
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fall — to drop
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mine — for digging
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fall — to drop
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fall — the season
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com