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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: kid · row · snap · season · prune · fork · bound · nail

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fork — in a road
  4. snap — to click
  5. bound — certain
  6. prune — to trim
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. row — to paddle
  13. season — of the year
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — in sport
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kid — to tease
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. nail — on a finger

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