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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 116 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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pitch — completely
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. staff — employees
  9. rule — government
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — hasty
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. staff — employees
  14. bound — obliged
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bound — tied together
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bound — certain
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rash — a series

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