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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: chest · bore · prune · track · snap · bulb · key · firm

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — a company
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. key — in music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. snap — to click
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. track — a path
  13. prune — to trim
  14. track — a song
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — steady
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bulb — for light
  20. key — the most important part
  21. chest — a box
  22. bore — to tire
  23. firm — decided
  24. track — to keep track

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