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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rest — a break
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — a skill
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rule — government
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — boats
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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