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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fine — high quality
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rule — government
  6. sharp — clever
  7. board — a committee
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fine — all right
  11. board — to get on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rule — a law
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chest — a box
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. hand — help
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rest — a break
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rest — what's left
  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