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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. charge — a price
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — letters
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ball — a great time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. charge — in control
  17. spell — magic
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pound — a weight
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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