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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: snap · key · prune · rock · wound · dip · craft · last

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. last — finally
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. key — in music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rock — a stone
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to click
  13. last — final
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wound — an injury
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wound — an injury
  23. last — to go on
  24. prune — to trim

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