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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: prune · safe · lie · key · saw · wind · squash · bowl

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. saw — the tool
  3. key — in music
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. key — for a lock
  6. squash — to crush
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. squash — the sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lie — to recline
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. prune — to trim
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wind — moving air

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