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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: bass · prune · season · content · vault · saw · snap · wake

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. content — the amount
  3. prune — to trim
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bass — low music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. saw — the tool
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. saw — the tool
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bass — the fish
  24. snap — to click

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