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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rule — a law
  6. hand — help
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fall — to drop
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rule — government
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fall — the season
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fall — to drop
  24. coach — a trainer

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