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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — letters
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. spell — a short time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cell — in biology
  22. spell — magic
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ruler — for measuring

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