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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. file — a tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. charge — in control
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — wild animals
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. hand — in cards
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. file — a document
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. staff — employees
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. hand — help
  22. game — a match
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. file — a line of people

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