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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 120 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: rule · wound · pound · row · firm · safe · prune · cabinet

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. prune — to trim
  4. row — to paddle
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pound — a weight
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wound — an injury
  12. row — a line
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. firm — steady
  15. rule — a law
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — decided
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. firm — a company
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. safe — a strongbox

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