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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: rush · can · lean · firm · prune · straw · spell · board

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spell — letters
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spell — a short time
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rush — hurry
  14. firm — steady
  15. lean — thin
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. firm — a company
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spell — magic
  21. can — a tin
  22. firm — decided
  23. can — to be able to
  24. board — a committee

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