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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. last — to go on
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. snap — to click
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. last — finally
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mug — a cup
  15. last — final
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. deal — to handle
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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