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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rock — music
  10. rule — government
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ground — a position
  14. snap — to click
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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