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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: row · stick · object · squash · wax · prune · rule · shower

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. squash — to crush
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. prune — to trim
  10. shower — rain
  11. row — a line
  12. squash — the sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. object — to protest
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rule — a law
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rule — government

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