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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · pop · snap · prune · content · firm · lie · bear

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. firm — steady
  3. pop — soda
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pop — music
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. content — the amount
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lie — to recline
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pop — to visit
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — decided
  21. sharp — clever
  22. snap — to click
  23. firm — a company
  24. content — happy

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