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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.

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: temple · prune · arm · spell · file · ball · fan · snap

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. snap — to click
  3. spell — a short time
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. file — a line of people
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. file — a tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — letters
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. file — a document
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spell — magic
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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