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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. charge — electricity
  6. shower — rain
  7. craft — boats
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. present — the time now
  10. craft — a skill
  11. charge — in control
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. charge — a price
  14. rash — hasty
  15. present — there
  16. snap — to click
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rush — hurry
  22. present — a gift
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rash — a series

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