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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cap — a hat
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bass — low music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. press — to push
  18. wound — an injury
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bass — the fish
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cap — of ice

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