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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: face · safe · band · file · deal · saw · prune · race

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. race — humankind
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. race — the arms race
  6. file — a line of people
  7. deal — to handle
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. band — a ring
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. face — part of the head
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. band — a music group
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to point toward
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — a contest

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