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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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Word bank
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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: dip · snap · bound · band · fan · nail · racket · prune

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. snap — to click
  4. dip — to sink
  5. band — a ring
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bound — obliged
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bound — certain
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. band — a music group
  22. bound — tied together
  23. band — a rubber band
  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