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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · spell · pit · rash · wake · prune · ruler · lean

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. spell — magic
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spell — letters
  11. lean — to bend
  12. prune — to trim
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. prune — to trim
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rash — a series
  19. spell — a short time
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — thin
  24. leaves — of a tree

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