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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kid — child
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. row — to paddle
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pop — soda
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. row — a line
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pop — music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rule — a law
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rule — government
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pop — to visit
  24. kid — to tease

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