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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fall — the season
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. charge — electricity
  9. face — to confront
  10. kid — child
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. fall — to drop
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mate — a friend
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tube — a container
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. charge — in control
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — a price
  21. face — part of the head
  22. tube — the underground
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mate — a partner

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