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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: cold · snap · toast · season · prune · key · sharp · board

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. board — to get on
  3. prune — to trim
  4. season — in sport
  5. prune — to trim
  6. snap — to click
  7. key — in music
  8. board — a committee
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. key — the most important part
  14. toast — bread
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cold — not warm
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cold — an illness
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — for a lock
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. season — of the year

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