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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 120 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. object — an aim
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. shower — rain
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. object — a thing
  9. land — to come down
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. land — ground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rule — government
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rule — a law
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. land — a country

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