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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. swing — music
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. last — finally
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. charge — in control
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. swing — in golf
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. last — final
  22. foot — a measure
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lean — to rest against

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