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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: prune · fall · tube · roll · snap · rule · deal · fine

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fall — the season
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. deal — to handle
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. roll — a cake
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fine — all right
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. tube — a container
  17. roll — a list
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. snap — to click
  24. fine — high quality

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