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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: deal · cold · land · mark · stand · bore · safe · prune

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. land — to come down
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. land — a country
  5. mark — a grade
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bore — to drill
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — ground
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cold — an illness
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  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