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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. spell — letters
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rule — government
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — magic
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hand — help
  24. cabinet — ministers

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