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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rash — hasty
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. rule — government
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. capital — money
  15. mug — a cup
  16. capital — a city
  17. rock — music
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rule — a law
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rash — a series
  24. squash — the sport

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