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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: trunk · toast · spell · firm · face · chair · cap · rule

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rule — government
  4. toast — bread
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cap — a hat
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. face — to confront
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cap — a lid
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. firm — decided
  20. spell — letters
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chair — a leader
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. chair — a professorship

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