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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. object — an aim
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mark — a grade
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rule — government
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. file — a document
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. file — a tool
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. stem — of a plant

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