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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 120 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 · prune · season · last · snap · pass · object · perch

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. kid — to tease
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — finally
  5. prune — to trim
  6. last — to go on
  7. object — a thing
  8. season — in sport
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — child
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. object — an aim
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. season — of the year
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pass — a permit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. last — final
  21. perch — the fish
  22. object — to protest
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. snap — to click

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