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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: prune · lean · wax · leaves · straw · last · pit · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. last — final
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pit — in a race
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. last — finally
  11. prune — to trim
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pit — a hole
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. last — to go on
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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