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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stem — to come from
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. object — a thing
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. current — electric
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. current — of water
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. track — a path
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. track — a song
  21. current — happening now
  22. prune — to trim
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bear — the animal

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