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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. trunk — of a tree
  3. lean — thin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spring — the season
  9. spell — letters
  10. spring — of water
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spell — a short time
  13. charge — a price
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bound — certain
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. spell — magic
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mouse — the animal
  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