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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.

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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: rest · stick · object · game · cabinet · prune · pass · wound

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rest — what's left
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. object — a thing
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. object — to protest
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — an aim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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