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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chip — to eat
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chip — for betting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rule — a law
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. file — a document

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