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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. snap — to click
  4. stock — shares
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stock — goods
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wound — an injury
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bulb — for light

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