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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. object — an aim
  3. rule — government
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. capital — a city
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. capital — money
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. object — to protest
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rule — a law
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. object — a thing
  24. capital — a big letter

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