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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rule — government
  3. lie — to recline
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kick — in football
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chip — for betting
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rule — a law
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lie — an untruth

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