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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 116 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 · deal · prune · bear · lean · lash · game · stand

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. lean — thin
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stand — to bear
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — to handle
  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