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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: bank · cabinet · wound · sharp · bay · ground · trunk · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. rule — a law
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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