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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: can · content · prune · club · bear · lean · season · snap

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — the amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. club — for dancing
  8. season — of the year
  9. can — to be able to
  10. content — happy
  11. snap — to click
  12. club — for golf
  13. prune — to trim
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. club — a group
  16. lean — to bend
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. season — in sport
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lean — thin
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. season — to add flavour

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