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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: rule · prune · cell · arm · stand · lean · drill · fall

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rule — government
  6. lean — to bend
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. lean — thin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — to trim
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rule — a law
  21. fall — the season
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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