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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rule — government
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. capital — a city
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rule — a law
  21. race — humankind
  22. capital — money
  23. race — a contest
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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