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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: foot · prune · dip · rule · bulb · mate · staff · wake

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rule — a law
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bulb — for light
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. foot — a measure
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rule — government
  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