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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spell — a short time
  3. snap — to click
  4. bank — for money
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — to sink
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — final
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. last — to go on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bank — for money
  24. bat — the animal

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