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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. court — of a king
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lean — to bend
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rule — a law
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rule — government
  16. tube — a container
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lean — thin
  24. rule — to rule out

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