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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rule — a law
  3. cue — a hint
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. deal — to handle
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rule — government
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pit — a hole
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. deal — an agreement

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