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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 124 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. season — of the year
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. season — in sport
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mark — a grade
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rest — a break
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — government
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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