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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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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: saw · safe · dip · leaves · mate · prune · ball · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mate — a partner
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mate — a friend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mate — to breed
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — a song
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ball — a dance
  21. track — to keep track
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ball — a round shape

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