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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. key — in music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spring — of water
  12. foot — a measure
  13. snap — to click
  14. wake — a trail
  15. prune — to trim
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spring — the season
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. spring — a coil

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