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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. charge — in control
  4. lie — to recline
  5. charge — a price
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. spell — magic
  8. hand — help
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mug — a cup
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. kid — child
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mug — a face
  24. spell — letters

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