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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: swing · toast · lie · bark · can · bay · snap · prune

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. prune — to trim
  9. snap — to click
  10. bark — to shout
  11. swing — in golf
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. toast — bread
  23. can — a tin
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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