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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.

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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: hand · prune · stick · object · rock · pass · last · hide

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. last — final
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rock — music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pass — a permit
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. last — to go on
  19. rock — a stone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. last — finally
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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