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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: root · prune · toast · rest · rule · cabinet · band · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rest — what's left
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. root — the cause
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. band — a ring
  9. rule — government
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. rest — a break
  14. rule — a law
  15. root — of a plant
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. root — of a word
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — to trim
  24. band — a music group

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