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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. clip — for paper
  5. charge — in control
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — all right
  8. deal — to handle
  9. dip — to sink
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. clip — a video
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bore — to tire
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. 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