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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: swing · plane · rule · perch · trunk · capital · cabinet · squash

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. perch — the fish
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. capital — a city
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — a law
  11. swing — music
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. capital — money
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. swing — in golf
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. capital — a big letter
  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