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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — soda
  4. firm — a company
  5. land — a country
  6. rule — government
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. shower — rain
  9. snap — to click
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pop — to visit
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. firm — decided
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. firm — steady
  17. pop — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rule — a law
  21. land — ground
  22. shower — to wash
  23. prune — to trim
  24. land — to come down

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