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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rest — a break
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spell — magic
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lean — thin
  10. snap — to click
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rest — what's left
  13. toast — bread
  14. spell — letters
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lean — to bend
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pop — soda
  19. spell — a short time
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pop — music
  22. key — in music
  23. lean — to rest against
  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