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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.

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: bat · pass · scale · lean · wake · prune · board · straw

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lean — to bend
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. lean — thin
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pass — a permit
  19. scale — in music
  20. board — a committee
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. board — to get on
  24. bat — in an idiom

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