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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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 a tree
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rule — government
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. net — after costs
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. scale — in music
  15. net — for catching
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — in sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cue — for pool
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — a signal
  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