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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rock — music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. row — a line
  11. rule — government
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bat — the animal
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rock — a stone
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. dip — to sink

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