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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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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: leaves · snap · spell · mate · drill · rule · prune · chair

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. spell — magic
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. prune — to trim
  5. drill — the tool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rule — government
  11. chair — a leader
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spell — a short time
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mate — to breed
  18. spell — letters
  19. mate — a partner
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mate — a friend
  22. snap — to click
  23. rule — a law
  24. drill — army training

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