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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: bay · hide · stick · roll · trunk · hand · rule · jam

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. hand — in cards
  6. roll — a cake
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. roll — a list
  11. rule — a law
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. hand — help
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rule — government
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. 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