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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — government
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bank — for money
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bank — for money
  15. squash — to crush
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rest — a break
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rule — a law
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. squash — the sport

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