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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · fall · craft · prune · cue · snap

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cue — a signal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. kid — child
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kid — to tease
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. prune — to trim
  18. snap — to click

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