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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. drill — army training
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — of ice
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. drill — the tool
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. rule — a law
  16. rest — a break
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cap — a lid
  19. drill — a practice
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. land — a country
  22. rule — government
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cap — a hat

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