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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mate — a partner
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. snap — to click
  12. mate — a friend
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pass — a permit
  18. charge — a price
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — in control

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