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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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 an elephant
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. charge — a price
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — happy
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stand — to bear
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitch — completely
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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