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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fall — to drop
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — electricity
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. fall — the season
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a document
  17. charge — a price
  18. rash — a series
  19. bound — certain
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hide — animal skin

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