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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: key · rash · snap · nail · prune · band · squash · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rash — a series
  3. prune — to trim
  4. squash — the sport
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. present — there
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. squash — to crush
  12. snap — to click
  13. present — a gift
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. band — a music group
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rash — hasty
  20. key — for a lock
  21. band — a ring
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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