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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — the tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — for sport
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. court — of a king
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rule — government
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rule — a law
  18. staff — a stick
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. court — of law
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. lean — thin
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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