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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: lie · craft · wind · net · prune · current · leaves · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wind — moving air
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. current — of water
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wind — moving air
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. net — in sport
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. lie — to recline
  15. snap — to click
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. craft — boats
  20. prune — to trim
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — to go away

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