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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 120 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: trunk · lean · foot · rock · swing · drill · mate · rule

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rule — government
  3. mate — a friend
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lean — to bend
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lean — thin
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. drill — army training
  14. mate — to breed
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rule — a law
  17. rock — music
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. swing — to play on
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. swing — music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. lean — to rest against

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