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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.

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: leaves · chest · rash · drill · stick · board · pop · prune

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rash — hasty
  7. drill — army training
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chest — of your body
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rash — a series
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chest — of your body
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pop — to visit
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. drill — the tool
  22. board — to get on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chest — a box

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