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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. band — a music group
  7. prune — to trim
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. band — a ring
  10. foot — a measure
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rule — government
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. object — a thing
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rule — a law
  24. foot — part of the body

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