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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. capital — money
  4. lean — to bend
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. capital — a city
  9. charge — in control
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lean — thin
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. charge — a price
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bark — to shout

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