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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a tool
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. firm — a company
  10. rule — a law
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bound — certain
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. plane — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rule — government
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bound — tied together

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