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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rock — music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rule — a law
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wind — moving air
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wind — moving air
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. content — happy
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. face — to confront
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. face — part of the head
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cue — a hint
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rule — government

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