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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 · bound · cap · key · wound · prune · lean · bay

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — certain
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cap — a hat
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — thin
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — of ice
  24. key — in music

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