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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. charge — a price
  6. band — a ring
  7. charge — in control
  8. rule — government
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lean — to bend
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lean — thin
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. band — a music group
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. rock — a stone
  24. band — a rubber band

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