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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — a face
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — to bear
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. saw — the tool
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mug — a cup
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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