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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: rush · tube · rule · prune · cell · ruler · present · wind

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cell — in biology
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. present — a gift
  12. rule — government
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rule — a law
  18. present — the time now
  19. tube — a container
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. prune — to trim
  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