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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. sharp — clever
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. present — the time now
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stand — to bear
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rule — a law
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. key — in music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. present — a gift
  19. rush — hurry
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rule — government
  22. toast — bread
  23. present — there
  24. trunk — of a car

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