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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pop — music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pop — to visit
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rock — music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pop — soda
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rule — a law

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