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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. wax — to grow
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a great time
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ball — a dance
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. charge — a price
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. charge — electricity
  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