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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — an aim
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — the amount
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. object — to protest
  10. last — final
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. charge — a price
  13. object — a thing
  14. last — finally
  15. content — happy
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. roll — a cake
  20. saw — the tool
  21. roll — a list
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. last — to go on

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