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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rest — a break
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. tube — a container
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. charge — in control
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fine — all right
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. tube — the underground
  20. charge — a price
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — what's left
  24. trunk — of a tree

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