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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fine — all right
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mark — a grade
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rule — a law
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — a trace
  17. race — humankind
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — government
  24. race — a contest

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