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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lean — to bend
  5. game — a match
  6. object — to protest
  7. land — to come down
  8. rule — government
  9. land — a country
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rule — a law
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. land — ground
  15. lean — thin
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — a thing
  24. trunk — of a car

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