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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: face · bear · jam · pop · rest · prune · lean · object

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. object — a thing
  3. pop — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. object — to protest
  8. rest — what's left
  9. face — to confront
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pop — to visit
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. prune — to trim
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lean — thin
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bear — the animal
  20. object — an aim
  21. pop — soda
  22. bear — the animal
  23. face — part of the head
  24. prune — to trim

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