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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. sharp — clever
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rock — music
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rock — a stone
  13. present — the time now
  14. snap — to click
  15. spell — letters
  16. root — of a plant
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. spell — a short time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. prune — to trim
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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