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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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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. board — a committee
  3. firm — steady
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rule — government
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rule — a law
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mark — a trace
  23. board — to get on
  24. hand — help

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