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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. tube — a container
  5. rule — government
  6. kid — child
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bank — for money
  17. rule — a law
  18. bank — for money
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wind — moving air
  24. net — for catching

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