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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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. prune — the fruit
  3. kid — child
  4. fall — to drop
  5. snap — to click
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fall — the season
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. firm — steady
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. present — a gift
  16. fall — to drop
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. firm — a company
  20. present — there
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. present — the time now
  24. firm — decided

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