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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · rest · ball · perch · hand · march · wake · pass

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rest — a break
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. march — the month
  9. prune — to trim
  10. march — music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. march — the month
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hand — help
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — in cards

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