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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. craft — boats
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rule — government
  6. craft — a skill
  7. season — in sport
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. foot — a measure
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wind — moving air
  14. season — of the year
  15. rule — a law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chest — a box
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rash — a series

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