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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rule — a law
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cell — in biology
  13. squash — to crush
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — decided
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rule — government
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mug — a face
  22. squash — the sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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