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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. game — wild animals
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. game — a match
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tube — a container
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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