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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lean — thin
  6. rule — a law
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. root — of a word
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kick — in football
  19. root — the cause
  20. rule — government
  21. pit — in a race
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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