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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — government
  8. rock — a stone
  9. chip — for betting
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. dip — to sink
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rule — a law
  23. chip — to eat
  24. dip — to dunk

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