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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. prune — to trim
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hand — help
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rest — what's left

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