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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chest — a box
  3. clip — to cut
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chest — of your body
  7. clip — a video
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. charge — in control
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wake — a trail
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mark — a trace
  23. chest — of your body
  24. temple — a place of worship

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