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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · rule · cap · sharp · rest · face · bulb · prune

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rule — a law
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cap — a hat
  7. net — after costs
  8. rule — government
  9. cap — of ice
  10. net — for catching
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. net — in sport
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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