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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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. mine — an explosive
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. track — a song
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. board — a committee
  12. bark — to shout
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. track — a path
  16. board — to get on
  17. track — to keep track
  18. charge — in control
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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