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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pass — a permit
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rule — a law
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. squash — the sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — thin
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. toast — bread
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rule — government
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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