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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cell — a phone
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. club — for golf
  9. land — a country
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — to paddle
  13. land — ground
  14. row — a line
  15. cell — in biology
  16. club — a group
  17. swing — music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. land — to come down
  21. swing — in golf
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. club — for dancing
  24. swing — to play on

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