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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. charge — in control
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. charge — a price
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. field — a subject
  12. rock — music
  13. field — farmland
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lean — to bend
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. field — for sport
  24. charge — electricity

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