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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: snap · prune · spell · field · charge · dip · fan · rush

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spell — letters
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. field — a subject
  6. spell — magic
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — to sink
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — in control
  15. field — for sport
  16. snap — to click
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spell — a short time
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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