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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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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 · wave · date · row · prune · squash · mug · bowl

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. row — a line
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. prune — to trim
  8. squash — to crush
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mug — a cup
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. prune — to trim
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mug — a face
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mug — to rob

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