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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — to get on
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. chest — a box
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chest — of your body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. date — the fruit
  19. board — a committee
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. snap — to click
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. board — a flat piece

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