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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 · hide · straw · pass · racket · leaves · stick · kid

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pass — a permit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. kid — child
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. kid — to tease
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. prune — to trim
  24. straw — dry grass

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