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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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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: bay · scale · prune · snap · leaves · bark · stand · date

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stand — to bear
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. date — the fruit
  10. scale — in music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. scale — for weighing
  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