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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. present — a gift
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. race — humankind
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rule — a law
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. kick — in football
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. race — a contest
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rule — government
  19. present — there
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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