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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: lean · prune · board · pass · last · stock · hand · ruler

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stock — shares
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. board — to get on
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. last — final
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stock — goods
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pass — a permit
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. hand — help
  17. lean — thin
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. board — a committee

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