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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: can · prune · rest · lean · hide · stick · arm · mouse

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. can — a tin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. rest — a break
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to bend
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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