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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. row — to paddle
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. charge — in control
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rash — a series
  12. charge — a price
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pop — music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. row — a line
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pop — soda
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pop — to visit

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