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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: hand · prune · snap · firm · rest · board · pit · temple

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pit — a hole
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rest — a break
  10. board — a committee
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — to get on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. snap — to click
  20. hand — help
  21. firm — steady
  22. pit — in a race
  23. firm — decided
  24. temple — a place of worship

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