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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — goods
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spring — the season
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stock — shares
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rule — government
  21. spring — of water
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bat — the animal

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