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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. track — a path
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. lean — to bend
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. craft — boats
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lean — thin
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. craft — a skill

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