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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 120 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: leaves · rest · ruler · wind · mug · track · prune · dip

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wind — moving air
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rest — what's left
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — a face
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rest — what's left
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rest — a break
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ruler — for measuring

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