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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lie — to recline
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — a container
  10. foot — a measure
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. swing — music
  13. rule — a law
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — government
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rash — hasty
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rash — on the skin

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