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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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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 · saw · row · dip · game · mouse · snap · mark

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — to sink
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mark — a grade
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. row — a line
  21. mark — a trace
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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