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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: prune · season · snap · can · roll · fine · lean · wax

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. fine — all right
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. season — in sport
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. can — a tin
  11. snap — to click
  12. roll — a list
  13. fine — high quality
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wax — to grow
  16. roll — a cake
  17. prune — to trim
  18. can — to be able to
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. season — of the year
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lean — to rest against

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