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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. season — of the year
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rule — government
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — to sink
  12. season — in sport
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rule — a law
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fork — in a road

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