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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: lean · leaves · roll · prune · pass · row · rash · stand

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. roll — a list
  4. lean — thin
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lean — to bend
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. stand — to bear
  14. row — to paddle
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rash — hasty
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. row — a line

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