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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: prune · roll · lean · ruler · rock · cue · net · hand

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rock — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. net — in sport
  9. hand — in cards
  10. net — after costs
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. cue — a hint
  18. roll — a list
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — help
  21. net — for catching
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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