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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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 click
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. scale — in music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rock — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spell — letters
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — a stone
  24. spell — magic

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