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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. spring — of water
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. snap — to click
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. row — a line
  13. bound — certain
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hand — help
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. prune — to trim
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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