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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — magic
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wound — an injury
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rule — government
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rule — a law
  20. craft — boats
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hide — to keep secret

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