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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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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: rest · lean · deal · clip · stick · prune · rush · trunk

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lean — to bend
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. clip — to cut
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rest — a break
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. clip — a video
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rush — hurry
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lean — thin
  24. rest — what's left

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