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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. key — for a lock
  4. tube — a container
  5. key — in music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. field — farmland
  13. rule — a law
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. field — for sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rule — government
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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