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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: hand · lash · prune · suit · snap · lie · court · mate

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hand — help
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mate — to breed
  8. snap — to click
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. suit — clothes
  11. court — of law
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. court — of a king
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mate — a friend
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mate — a partner
  21. court — for sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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