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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: ruler · squash · rule · mine · prune · stick · chair · fan

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rule — a law
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rule — government
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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