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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. object — an aim
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. root — of a word
  10. wake — a trail
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. band — a ring
  13. object — to protest
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. object — a thing
  17. band — a music group
  18. root — the cause
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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