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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bulb — for light
  8. content — the amount
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. content — happy

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