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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: prune · lash · firm · key · spring · wake · spell · snap

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. spring — of water
  2. spell — magic
  3. snap — to click
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spell — a short time
  6. firm — steady
  7. spring — a coil
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. firm — decided
  11. spring — the season
  12. prune — to trim
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. key — in music
  17. firm — a company
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. key — for a lock
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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