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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. hand — in cards
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cap — a lid
  5. drill — a practice
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hand — help
  9. court — of a king
  10. cap — a hat
  11. court — of law
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. court — for sport
  16. drill — army training
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. charge — in control
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — the tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. sharp — with an edge

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