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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rock — a stone
  3. row — a line
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. row — to paddle
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. snap — to click
  14. ball — a great time
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lean — thin
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rock — music
  20. charge — in control
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. charge — a price
  24. lean — to bend

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