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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. march — music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. march — the month
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rule — government
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. march — the month
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rule — a law
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — to shout
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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