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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. face — to point toward
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. track — to keep track
  6. charge — in control
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ball — a dance
  10. face — part of the head
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. track — a path
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. ball — a great time
  19. face — to confront
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. track — a song
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bound — certain

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