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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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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 · ruler · wind · straw · stand · bark · prune · saw

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wind — moving air
  5. prune — to trim
  6. saw — the tool
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — moving air
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stand — to bear
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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