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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: firm · can · jam · shower · prune · saw · mug · snap

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — to rob
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to click
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. can — to be able to
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. saw — the tool
  11. firm — steady
  12. shower — rain
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — to wash
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mug — a face
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. can — a tin
  23. mug — a cup
  24. saw — the tool

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