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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cue — for pool
  6. charge — in control
  7. cue — a signal
  8. march — the month
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. march — music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cue — a hint
  13. face — to confront
  14. pit — in a race
  15. charge — a price
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. face — part of the head
  19. charge — electricity
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. march — the month
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — to point toward

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