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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 120 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: lean · rest · rush · prune · season · rule · fine · chest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. chest — of your body
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rule — government
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rule — a law
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. chest — a box
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. season — of the year
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. fine — all right

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