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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bore — to drill
  5. last — final
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cap — of ice
  11. board — to get on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. last — to go on
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rule — a law
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. last — finally
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. board — a committee
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rule — government

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