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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. shower — to wash
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mug — a face
  7. rule — government
  8. mark — a grade
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mug — to rob
  13. land — a country
  14. board — to get on
  15. land — to come down
  16. board — a committee
  17. mug — a cup
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rule — a law
  20. land — ground
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tube — a container
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. shower — rain

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