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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: object · club · snap · prune · bowl · spring · kick · present

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. spring — the season
  2. prune — to trim
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. club — a group
  6. present — there
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. present — a gift
  10. kick — in football
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. club — for golf
  15. object — an aim
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. snap — to click
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. present — the time now
  22. club — for dancing
  23. kick — a thrill
  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