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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 116 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: rock · rash · lean · prune · wake · cabinet · rest · plane

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lean — thin
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rock — music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cabinet — ministers

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