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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. staff — employees
  5. pass — a permit
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. date — the fruit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. key — for a lock
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. key — the most important part
  17. charge — in control
  18. key — in music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — in football
  21. staff — employees
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. charge — a price

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