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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. firm — steady
  3. spring — of water
  4. mate — to breed
  5. snap — to click
  6. spring — the season
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rock — music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. roll — a list
  15. mate — a partner
  16. firm — decided
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. firm — a company
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — hurry
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rock — a stone
  24. roll — a cake

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