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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · bear · fall · rock · snap · saw · prune · can

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fall — the season
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. snap — to click
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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