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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wound — an injury
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cue — a signal
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cue — for pool
  10. row — a line
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rule — government
  16. cap — a lid
  17. suit — to fit
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cap — of ice
  21. suit — in cards
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rule — a law
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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