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

Word bank: foot · tear · mouse · rule · board · mate · prune · wake

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. board — a committee
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. board — to get on
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mate — a partner
  24. prune — to trim

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