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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: game · prune · toast · fan · wave · firm · snap · ruler

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. firm — decided
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. firm — steady
  6. game — a match
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. firm — a company
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. toast — bread
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to click
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. prune — the fruit

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