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

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. prune — to trim
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. track — a song
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. track — to keep track
  10. scale — size or range
  11. current — electric
  12. track — a path
  13. bore — to tire
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lean — thin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. current — happening now
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lean — to bend
  21. current — of water
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — in music

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