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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. scale — in music
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. present — there
  16. chip — for betting
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. leaves — lets stay

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