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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rule — government
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rule — a law
  11. last — to go on
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. last — finally
  15. can — to be able to
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — for money
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. ruler — for measuring

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