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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stem — to come from
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. file — a tool
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cue — a signal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. content — happy
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. charge — a price
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cue — a hint
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. content — the amount
  22. charge — in control
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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