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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: fall · chest · mine · rule · ball · suit · prune · cap

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chest — a box
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fall — the season
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cap — a hat
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. prune — to trim
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cap — of ice
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. fall — to drop
  24. prune — the fruit

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