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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 120 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. can — a tin
  7. band — a ring
  8. row — to paddle
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — a line
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — to be able to
  15. prune — to trim
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rule — a law
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. band — a music group
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. nail — on a finger

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