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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: scale · lean · date · snap · lash · prune · stem · content

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. snap — to click
  10. lean — thin
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. scale — size or range
  13. content — the amount
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. scale — in music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to bend
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. date — the fruit
  24. content — happy

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