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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. march — music
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. march — the month
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rule — a law

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