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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: stick · suit · lie · saw · snap · pound · current · prune

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lie — to recline
  3. snap — to click
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pound — a weight
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. current — happening now
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. current — of water
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. current — electric
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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