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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.

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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: fall · row · jam · lean · prune · rest · field · can

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lean — to bend
  3. row — to paddle
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. field — a subject
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lean — thin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — a line
  15. can — to be able to
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fall — the season
  18. rest — a break
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — farmland
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. field — for sport

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