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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 116 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. charge — electricity
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. file — a document
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fine — all right
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. charge — a price
  14. pass — a permit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pop — music
  19. charge — in control
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a line of people
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a tool

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