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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: prune · lean · suit · snap · bat · rash · lie · pound

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. suit — to fit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rash — a series
  15. bat — the animal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lie — to recline
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pound — a weight
  20. lean — thin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rash — hasty

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