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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. spell — letters
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. spell — magic
  9. fine — all right
  10. kid — child
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chest — a box
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spell — a short time
  17. kid — to tease
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mouse — for a computer

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