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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. fall — to drop
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. present — the time now
  13. charge — a price
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. present — there
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. dip — to sink
  21. key — in music
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. fall — the season

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