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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. march — the month
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mate — a partner
  6. land — a country
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mate — to breed
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rock — a stone
  13. land — ground
  14. plane — a tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. land — to come down
  19. rock — music
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. charge — a price

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