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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
468
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: nail · deal · trunk · rule · bat · leaves · rush · fork

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rule — government
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — a law
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fork — in a road

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