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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bound — tied together
  4. season — of the year
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bound — certain
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rule — a law
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. season — in sport
  18. rule — government
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bound — obliged
  22. vault — a safe
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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