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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: craft · suit · wake · rule · roll · last · spell · prune

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. prune — to trim
  8. craft — boats
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. last — final
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spell — magic
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. spell — letters
  18. wake — a trail
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. suit — to fit
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rule — a law
  23. craft — a skill
  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