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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: prune · dip · pass · ruler · rest · cell · rule · foot

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rest — a break
  4. rule — government
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rule — a law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pass — a permit
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — the fruit

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