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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: bear · rule · cap · prune · deal · spell · wave · press

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rule — a law
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. spell — magic
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bear — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spell — letters
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rule — government
  24. bear — the animal

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