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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. charge — a price
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — a stick
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. charge — in control
  16. tube — a container
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. tube — the underground
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. staff — employees

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