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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. pop — soda
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. snap — to click
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pop — music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bark — to shout
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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