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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. band — a music group
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rule — government
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chip — for betting
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. suit — clothes

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