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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — a law
  4. firm — a company
  5. rock — music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. firm — decided
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rule — government
  19. stand — to bear
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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