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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. object — a thing
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cap — of ice
  7. object — to protest
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. charge — a price
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. object — an aim
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cap — a lid
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mug — to rob
  20. kick — in football
  21. cap — a hat
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. charge — in control

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