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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — hurry
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fine — all right
  18. rule — a law
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fine — high quality

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