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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — the cause
  6. plane — a tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ball — a great time
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — a law
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. root — of a word
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — there

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