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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. present — a gift
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cold — not warm
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. lean — thin
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cold — an illness
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rule — government
  12. suit — clothes
  13. prune — to trim
  14. board — a committee
  15. suit — in cards
  16. prune — to trim
  17. present — the time now
  18. rule — a law
  19. suit — to fit
  20. present — there
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. board — to get on

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