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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — a stick
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. staff — employees
  9. spring — of water
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spring — the season
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. rest — a break
  24. lie — an untruth

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