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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. race — the arms race
  5. hand — in cards
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lean — to bend
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. snap — to click
  13. race — a contest
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lean — thin
  16. race — humankind
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hand — help
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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