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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. squash — to crush
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rule — a law
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wake — a trail
  11. shower — to wash
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rule — government
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. shower — rain

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