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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mug — a face
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cue — for pool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mug — a cup
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rule — a law
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cue — a hint
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. prune — to trim

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