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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. scale — in music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fine — high quality
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rest — a break
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rule — government
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fine — all right
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rule — a law
  24. trunk — of a car

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