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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. face — part of the head
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. band — a music group
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — government
  18. shower — rain
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. dip — to sink
  21. shower — to wash
  22. band — a ring
  23. rule — a law
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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