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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. toast — bread
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spell — letters
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — for pool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spell — magic
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. snap — to click
  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