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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. shower — rain
  3. firm — steady
  4. current — electric
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. current — of water
  8. firm — decided
  9. chair — a leader
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. current — happening now
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. shower — to wash
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. firm — a company

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