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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chip — to eat
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chip — for betting
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. snap — to click
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. trunk — of a car

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