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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bear — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. rule — government
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wind — moving air
  11. staff — employees
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rule — a law
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. wind — to turn a key

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