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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. content — happy
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pop — soda
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. current — electric
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — the amount
  12. current — of water
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pop — music
  15. firm — steady
  16. bulb — for light
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. pop — to visit
  20. current — happening now
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. prune — to trim

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