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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.

Make a worksheet

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: trunk · object · rule · leaves · lean · stick · bass · land

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. land — a country
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. object — an aim
  8. bass — low music
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rule — a law
  12. object — to protest
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rule — government
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. land — ground
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lean — to bend
  20. land — to come down
  21. lean — thin
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. object — a thing

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