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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 116 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: snap · prune · track · rock · mark · leaves

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mark — a grade
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to click
  6. track — to keep track
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rock — music
  10. track — a path
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. prune — to trim
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mark — a trace
  16. track — a song
  17. rock — a stone
  18. leaves — of a tree

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