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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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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: rest · mouse · calf · tear · rule · chest · toast · trunk

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chest — a box
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — a law
  12. chest — of your body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — a break
  17. chest — of your body
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tear — from crying

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