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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: race · fine · wave · prune · stand · chest · hand · rule

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. chest — a box
  3. hand — in cards
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. race — humankind
  8. stand — to bear
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rule — a law
  11. hand — help
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. race — a contest
  16. fine — all right
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fine — high quality
  19. race — the arms race
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rule — government
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. chest — of your body

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