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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — a publisher
  8. charge — a price
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rash — hasty
  15. press — to push
  16. charge — in control
  17. press — newspapers
  18. calf — a young animal

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