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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bore — to drill
  3. spell — magic
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spell — letters
  8. race — a contest
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rule — a law
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rock — music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — a short time
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rock — a stone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. race — humankind

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