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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: safe · prune · date · sharp · mine · pop · face · pound

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. face — to point toward
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pop — music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mine — for digging
  16. face — to confront
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pop — soda
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. prune — to trim

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