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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: bay · wake · last · bulb · prune · safe · cell · snap

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bulb — for light
  5. last — to go on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. last — final
  9. cell — in biology
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. last — finally
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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