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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: squash · ruler · face · prune · roll · rest · fork · jam

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. fork — in a road
  3. squash — to crush
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. face — to point toward
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rest — what's left
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — to confront
  14. rest — what's left
  15. roll — a list
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rest — a break
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. face — part of the head

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