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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rule — government
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. drill — army training
  14. rule — a law
  15. key — the most important part
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wake — a trail
  23. drill — a practice
  24. band — a ring

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