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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bass — low music
  4. rule — government
  5. cap — a lid
  6. drill — army training
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rule — a law
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bound — certain
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. drill — a practice
  24. lie — an untruth

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