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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. row — to paddle
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. file — a line of people
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bore — to tire
  8. row — a line
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rush — hurry
  14. file — a tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. file — a document
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bore — to drill

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