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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lean — to bend
  4. prune — to trim
  5. season — of the year
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. file — a document
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lean — thin
  15. rock — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. suit — to fit
  21. file — a tool
  22. snap — to click
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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