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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 · stick · cue · bear · file · rule · charge · lie

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. file — a tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. file — a document
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rule — government
  10. charge — a price
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. charge — electricity
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cue — a hint
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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