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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 116 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: dip · snap · prune · can · bear · band · object · wound

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wound — an injury
  12. object — an aim
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bear — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wound — an injury
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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