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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. present — a gift
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cue — a signal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rule — government
  24. cue — for pool

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