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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: spell · snap · bat · board · wave · root · prune · mug

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mug — a cup
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. spell — magic
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bat — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. spell — letters
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spell — a short time
  18. board — to get on
  19. mug — a face
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. snap — to click
  24. bat — in an idiom

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