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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fine — high quality
  9. face — to point toward
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. snap — to click
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. dip — to sink
  17. prune — to trim
  18. racket — a loud noise

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