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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rest — a break
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stock — goods
  18. cold — not warm
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. staff — employees
  23. rest — what's left
  24. staff — employees

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