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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. charge — electricity
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — a price
  14. bat — the animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. foot — part of the body

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