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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rule — a law
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wax — to grow
  9. band — a music group
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. band — a ring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rule — government

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