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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: snap · key · bat · spell · club · coach · prune · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. key — in music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. club — a group
  6. bat — the animal
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. saw — the tool
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for golf
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. spell — letters
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. prune — to trim
  23. club — for dancing
  24. coach — a trainer

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