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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rest — a break
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. game — a match
  9. tube — a container
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. spell — a short time
  13. tube — the underground
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — a law
  20. spell — magic
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. spell — letters
  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