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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bass — low music
  3. board — to get on
  4. drill — army training
  5. cap — a lid
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cap — a hat
  20. drill — the tool
  21. board — a committee
  22. rule — a law
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rule — government

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