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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.

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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 · stand · pound · lean · cold · hide · key · nail

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. key — in music
  7. cold — an illness
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lean — to bend
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. key — the most important part
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pound — a weight
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cold — not warm
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stand — to bear
  24. lean — thin

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