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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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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 · ruler · sharp · dip · stick · cap · rule · cabinet

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. dip — to sink
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rule — a law
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rule — government
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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