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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.

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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: cue · snap · fan · stand · staff · saw · bear · prune

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. snap — to click
  5. staff — a stick
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cue — for pool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. staff — employees
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. staff — employees
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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