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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · key · nail · scale · lash · spell · snap · club

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — magic
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. prune — to trim
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. key — the most important part
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. snap — to click

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