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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 116 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
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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: pass · spring · key · board · prune · wound · snap · mine

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. board — a committee
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. snap — to click
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mine — for digging
  10. key — in music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pass — a permit
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. key — the most important part
  22. board — to get on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — a flat piece

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