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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · rule · kick · wind · hide · wave

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rule — a law
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kick — in football
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wind — moving air
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hide — to keep secret

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