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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · prune · stick · hand · bear · object · court · mine

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. object — a thing
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — of a king
  19. rest — what's left
  20. object — to protest
  21. hand — help
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hand — part of the body
  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