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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. court — of law
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bank — for money
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rule — a law
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — of a river
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. bank — for money
  22. rush — hurry
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitch — completely

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