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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: dip · snap · last · leaves · row · lash · prune · lean

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. last — to go on
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. prune — to trim
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. row — to paddle
  17. dip — to sink
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. prune — to trim
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lean — thin

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