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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: saw · lie · date · content · lean · cue · prune · snap

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. snap — to click
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. content — the amount
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lean — to bend
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. content — happy
  13. saw — the tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lean — thin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a signal
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cue — for pool

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