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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spell — magic
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to click
  7. charge — in control
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. charge — a price
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rock — music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. tear — to rip

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