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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. charge — electricity
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. season — in sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — in control
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. charge — a price
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lie — to recline
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bat — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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