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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: wake · safe · bass · craft · firm · last · squash · prune

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. firm — steady
  3. craft — boats
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bass — low music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. last — final
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. firm — decided
  16. squash — to crush
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. squash — the sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. bass — the fish
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. last — finally

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