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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. rule — government
  3. tube — the underground
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. squash — the sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. squash — to crush
  18. scale — in music
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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