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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. club — for golf
  6. charge — electricity
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. charge — a price
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. board — to get on
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chest — of your body
  14. club — a group
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. charge — in control
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. board — a committee

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