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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: prune · sharp · mate · snap · can · plane · safe · field

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. sharp — clever
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mate — a partner
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. snap — to click
  10. mate — a friend
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. mate — to breed
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. can — to be able to
  24. safe — out of danger

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