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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: snap · prune · lie · wind · bark · lean · sharp · leaves

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wind — moving air
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. snap — to click
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lean — thin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wind — moving air

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