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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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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: present · ground · bore · prune · snap · fall · firm · current

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. firm — a company
  3. present — there
  4. ground — the earth
  5. current — electric
  6. firm — steady
  7. present — a gift
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ground — a position
  10. current — happening now
  11. firm — decided
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fall — the season
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bore — to tire
  17. current — of water
  18. bore — to drill
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fall — to drop

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