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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a document
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spell — magic
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rule — government
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. file — a line of people
  23. spell — letters
  24. rule — a law

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