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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rule — a law
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. kid — to tease
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. march — music
  8. rule — government
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. suit — clothes
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — the month
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. kid — child

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