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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 116 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: fork · prune · rest · lie · lash · snap · pass · bore

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rest — what's left
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rest — a break

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