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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rule — government
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. snap — to click
  13. bank — for money
  14. club — for golf
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. club — a group
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lie — to recline

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