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

Word bank: rule · race · saw · present · trunk · shower

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — the time now
  5. saw — the tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. present — a gift
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. race — the arms race
  10. present — there
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. race — a contest
  15. rule — government
  16. race — humankind
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rule — a law

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