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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. dip — to sink
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. charge — a price
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. charge — in control
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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