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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. snap — to click
  3. cue — a hint
  4. ball — a great time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — to confront
  7. cue — a signal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rash — a series
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ball — a dance
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — part of the head

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