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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: mine · cabinet · toast · rash · snap · prune · track · ruler

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rash — a series
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. snap — to click
  11. prune — to trim
  12. toast — bread
  13. track — a song
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. prune — to trim
  18. track — to keep track
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. track — a path

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