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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.

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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: snap · craft · file · press · safe · hand · prune · fall

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hand — help
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. file — a line of people
  17. craft — a skill
  18. press — a publisher
  19. craft — boats
  20. press — to push
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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