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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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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: rule · bat · cabinet · tube · lie · ground · trunk · deal

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. ground — a position
  4. tube — a container
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rule — a law
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — to handle
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ground — crushed
  24. deal — an agreement

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