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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rock — music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mug — a cup
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rule — government
  11. mug — a face
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. charge — in control
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rule — a law
  24. charge — a price

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