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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — to go on
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. charge — electricity
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. charge — in control
  12. lie — to recline
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. key — for a lock
  20. sharp — clever
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. charge — a price
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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