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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — help
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. firm — steady
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rule — government
  17. firm — a company
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — decided
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of a car

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