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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. shower — rain
  3. file — a document
  4. rule — government
  5. file — a tool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rule — a law
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. prune — to trim
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. file — a line of people
  23. shower — to wash
  24. prune — the fruit

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