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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. rule — a law
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bear — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. shower — rain
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — the animal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bear — to put up with

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