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

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rule — government
  3. present — there
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. kick — in football
  7. bass — low music
  8. file — a document
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. swing — in golf
  16. present — the time now
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. file — a tool
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rule — a law

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