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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bank — for money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bank — for money
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. tube — a container
  17. rule — government
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bank — of a river
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cell — a phone
  24. trunk — of a tree

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