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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 116 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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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: chip · bore · prune · scale · safe · bound · cell · straw

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bound — obliged
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bound — certain
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bore — to drill
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bore — to tire
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cell — a phone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. chip — for betting
  21. scale — in music
  22. bound — tied together
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. prune — the fruit

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