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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rule — government
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. prune — to trim
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. prune — to trim
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. rule — a law
  16. hand — in cards
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. roll — a list
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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