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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: tear · ruler · fall · net · wake · suit · leaves · prune

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. prune — to trim
  5. net — after costs
  6. fall — the season
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fall — to drop
  17. net — in sport
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tear — to rip
  20. net — for catching
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ruler — for measuring

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