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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.

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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: prune · wax · rule · trunk · date · toast · safe · bowl

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rule — government
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. toast — bread
  14. date — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rule — a law
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bowl — to roll

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