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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.

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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pass — a permit
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rock — a stone
  7. content — the amount
  8. fine — all right
  9. content — happy
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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