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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · rule · spell · present · fine · arm

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rule — government
  3. fine — all right
  4. spell — letters
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. rule — a law
  8. spell — a short time
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — the time now
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fine — high quality
  16. present — a gift
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rule — to rule out

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