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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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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: ruler · rush · snap · prune · face · nail · hand · bulb

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — to point toward
  3. snap — to click
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. face — to confront
  11. hand — help
  12. rush — hurry
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ruler — for measuring

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