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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: rule · wave · arm · chest · stand · prune · bulb · pass

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chest — a box
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pass — a permit
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rule — a law
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rule — government
  24. pass — to succeed

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