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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. staff — a stick
  10. last — finally
  11. board — a committee
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — for catching
  14. rule — a law
  15. last — to go on
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. last — final
  18. wax — to grow
  19. net — in sport
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. staff — employees
  22. rule — government
  23. net — after costs
  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