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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. swing — in golf
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. swing — music
  9. rule — a law
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rest — what's left
  16. firm — decided
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stem — to come from
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rule — government
  21. ground — a position
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rest — a break
  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