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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tear — from crying
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lie — to recline
  11. present — there
  12. rule — government
  13. present — the time now
  14. tube — a container
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bulb — for light
  17. present — a gift
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rule — a law
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tube — the underground

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