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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bat — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — certain
  10. charge — a price
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bound — obliged
  13. charge — in control
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. charge — electricity
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cell — a phone
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cell — in a prison

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