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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: prune · ruler · deal · craft · fan · object · fall · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. object — to protest
  4. snap — to click
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fall — to drop
  9. object — an aim
  10. fall — the season
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. craft — boats
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. prune — to trim
  22. object — a thing
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. deal — an agreement

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