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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. march — the month
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. march — music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cue — for pool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. march — the month
  12. mug — a cup
  13. snap — to click
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ball — a dance
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mug — a face
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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