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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: calf · mine · rash · prune · object · fine · rule · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. object — to protest
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fine — all right
  13. object — an aim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mine — for digging
  19. object — a thing
  20. rash — hasty
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rule — government
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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