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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.

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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: key · pound · firm · wave · prune · lean · hand · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lean — thin
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. hand — in cards
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hand — help
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. staff — employees
  19. pound — a weight
  20. firm — decided
  21. key — in music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lean — to bend

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