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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: tear · cell · prune · ruler · race · ball · stick · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. race — the arms race
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. race — humankind
  19. ball — a great time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cell — a phone
  22. race — a contest
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tear — to rip

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