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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. present — the time now
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — the amount
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. content — happy
  11. vault — a safe
  12. tube — the underground
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tube — a container
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. present — a gift
  18. rule — a law
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. present — there
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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