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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · pass · patient · ruler · leaves · lean · march · prune

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. march — music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bark — to shout
  13. prune — to trim
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lean — to rest against

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