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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: last · squash · prune · sharp · club · kick · snap · board

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. last — to go on
  3. sharp — clever
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. snap — to click
  6. last — finally
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. squash — to crush
  10. kick — in football
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. board — to get on
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. board — a committee
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — for golf
  22. prune — to trim
  23. last — final
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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