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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.

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 · stick · hide · bass · pop · straw · stand

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pop — soda
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. prune — to trim
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pop — to visit
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pop — music
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bass — low music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lean — thin
  24. stand — on your feet

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