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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · trunk · cabinet · pit · fan · mine · tube · rule

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rule — government
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. tube — a container
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — a law
  24. mine — an explosive

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