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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fine — high quality
  5. band — a music group
  6. pass — a permit
  7. band — a ring
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fine — all right
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. charge — a price
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mug — a face
  19. roll — a list
  20. charge — in control
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. roll — a cake
  24. trunk — of a car

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