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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. firm — a company
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. rule — a law
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. firm — decided
  13. drill — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — steady
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. board — to get on
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mark — to pay attention

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