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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: wake · snap · pass · cap · prune · sharp · present · stand

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — the time now
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. snap — to click
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. present — there
  20. cap — of ice
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pass — a permit
  23. present — a gift
  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