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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tube — a container
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. shower — to wash
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. season — in sport
  9. face — part of the head
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rest — a break
  16. rule — a law
  17. season — of the year
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rule — government
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. branch — a division
  22. rest — what's left
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rest — what's left

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