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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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mate — a friend
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fall — to drop
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fall — the season
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. fall — to drop

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