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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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. snap — to speak sharply
  3. root — of a word
  4. season — of the year
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. snap — to click
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. wake — a trail
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. root — the cause
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. root — of a plant
  16. season — in sport
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. prune — to trim
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. firm — decided
  24. date — on the calendar

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