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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. present — there
  3. rule — a law
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pop — soda
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pop — music
  8. dip — to sink
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pound — a weight
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rule — government
  15. present — the time now
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. present — a gift
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pop — to visit
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pound — to hit hard

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