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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitch — completely
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. file — a tool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rash — a series
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rule — a law
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. file — a line of people
  13. toast — bread
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rule — government
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. file — a document

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