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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. face — to point toward
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. sharp — clever
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. charge — in control

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