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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. present — there
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. charge — a price
  8. present — the time now
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — in control
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. present — a gift
  17. wound — an injury
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. land — a country
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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