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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: pound · lash · snap · can · leaves · tube · mouse · prune

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. tube — a container
  6. pound — a weight
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. prune — to trim
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pound — for dogs

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