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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kick — in football
  5. pop — music
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rule — government
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. shower — rain
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rule — a law
  17. lean — thin
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. craft — boats
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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