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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rule — a law
  3. chest — of your body
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. squash — to crush
  11. chest — a box
  12. rule — government
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. safe — a strongbox

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