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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rest — what's left
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. game — wild animals
  7. root — the cause
  8. rock — music
  9. rule — government
  10. root — of a word
  11. plane — a tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rule — a law
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rest — a break
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. game — a match
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. root — of a plant
  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