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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 124 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rule — government
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bore — to drill
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pound — a weight
  7. tube — a container
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rule — a law
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rash — a series
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rash — on the skin

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