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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. field — farmland
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fine — all right
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. field — a subject
  10. lie — to recline
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pass — a permit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lie — an untruth

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