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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. prune — to trim
  3. object — a thing
  4. bore — to tire
  5. snap — to click
  6. spring — of water
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. object — to protest
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. object — an aim
  11. spring — the season
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. key — in music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. key — for a lock
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. spring — a coil
  22. key — the most important part
  23. prune — to trim
  24. craft — a skill

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