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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. court — of a king
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. court — of law
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wind — moving air

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