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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rush — hurry
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. last — to go on
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. charge — in control
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fall — the season
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. squash — the sport

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