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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mate — a friend
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. charge — electricity
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. toast — bread
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mine — for digging
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. mate — a partner
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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