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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: suit · rule · leaves · wound · race · land · prune · bulb

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. land — a country
  7. rule — a law
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — humankind
  14. rule — government
  15. land — to come down
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bulb — for light
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. race — a contest
  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