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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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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: pound · cue · straw · last · lie · wake · stand · prune

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. last — final
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cue — a hint
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pound — a weight
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cue — a signal
  18. last — finally
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. last — to go on
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lie — an untruth

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