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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. root — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. club — a group
  16. root — of a word
  17. bound — certain
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. root — the cause
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — electric
  24. club — for dancing

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