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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. court — for sport
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rule — a law
  14. suit — clothes
  15. court — of a king
  16. suit — in cards
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. rule — government
  20. dip — to sink
  21. court — of law
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. dip — to dunk

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