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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. ground — the earth
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. row — a line
  8. fine — high quality
  9. key — the most important part
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fine — all right
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ground — a position
  16. key — for a lock
  17. snap — to click
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. key — in music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ground — crushed
  24. prune — to trim

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