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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.

Make a worksheet

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: prune · season · land · toast · sharp · coach · temple · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. land — a country
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. snap — to click
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. land — to come down
  11. season — in sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. toast — bread
  17. land — ground
  18. season — of the year
  19. prune — to trim
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. toast — the most admired
  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