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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: prune · march · nail · snap · fan · current · object · staff

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. prune — to trim
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. current — of water
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. object — an aim
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — happening now
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — the month
  14. staff — employees
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. march — the month
  19. snap — to click
  20. march — music
  21. object — a thing
  22. staff — employees
  23. current — electric
  24. prune — to trim

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