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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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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: mate · snap · lie · track · prune · wake · pitch · deal

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. prune — to trim
  3. track — a song
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — a path
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitch — completely
  10. snap — to click
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mate — a friend
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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