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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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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — in a race
  5. current — electric
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pit — a hole
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. current — happening now
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. current — of water
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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