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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 116 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: net · snap · prune · fine · mark · wave · spring · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. spring — the season
  3. mark — a trace
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. snap — to click
  7. mark — a grade
  8. spring — of water
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. net — for catching
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. net — after costs
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. spring — a coil
  19. net — in sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fine — all right

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