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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rule — government
  14. root — the cause
  15. cell — a phone
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. root — of a word
  19. cell — in biology
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rule — a law
  22. date — the fruit
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rule — to rule out

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