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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: bat · lie · wave · prune · rule · cabinet · swing · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. swing — music
  3. object — a thing
  4. prune — to trim
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bat — the animal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rule — a law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rule — government
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. object — to protest
  22. lie — to recline
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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