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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. track — a path
  5. prune — to trim
  6. track — a song
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rule — government
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — help
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cap — a hat
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rule — a law
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — to keep track
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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