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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: perch · pass · leaves · bore · cell · prune · rest · band

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pass — a permit
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. band — a music group
  5. cell — a phone
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. band — a ring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cell — in biology
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bore — to tire
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — to succeed
  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