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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rest — a break
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rule — government
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fork — in a road
  20. plane — a tool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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