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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: trunk · rule · present · perch · cold · key · band · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. key — in music
  3. band — a music group
  4. present — there
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. band — a ring
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. perch — the fish
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cold — not warm
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. present — the time now
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cold — an illness
  20. key — for a lock
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. present — a gift

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