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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. scale — in music
  4. rule — government
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. scale — size or range
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wake — a trail
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rule — a law
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bore — to tire

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