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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. land — a country
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rule — a law
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rule — government
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. land — ground
  17. mine — for digging
  18. land — to come down
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rule — to rule out

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