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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rule — government
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. object — a thing
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rule — a law
  12. kick — in football
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fork — in a road
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mine — for digging
  22. spring — a coil
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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