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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rock — music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rule — government
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rule — a law
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cell — a phone
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. perch — for a bird

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