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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 · lean · prune · ruler · land · rush · dip · rest

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. lean — to bend
  6. snap — to click
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rest — a break
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. lean — thin
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. land — a country

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