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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. charge — in control
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. prune — to trim
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mug — a face
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. game — a match
  15. mug — a cup
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. prune — to trim
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mug — to rob
  20. charge — a price
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. game — wild animals
  24. charge — electricity

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