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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rule — government
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cold — not warm
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. rule — a law
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. object — to protest
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. drill — army training

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