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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 124 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rule — government
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. shower — rain
  13. tube — a container
  14. rule — a law
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ground — a position
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ground — the earth

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