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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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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: squash · land · ground · staff · trunk · wave · suit · rule

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ground — the earth
  4. land — ground
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. staff — employees
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ground — a position
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ground — crushed
  15. suit — in cards
  16. land — to come down
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. squash — to crush
  21. land — a country
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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