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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: lean · key · sharp · prune · racket · rest · rash · date

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. key — in music
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rash — hasty
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rest — what's left
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rest — a break
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. key — the most important part
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lean — thin
  22. rash — a series
  23. prune — to trim
  24. racket — for tennis

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