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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. squash — to crush
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rule — a law
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rule — government
  18. rest — a break
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pass — to spend time

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