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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. charge — in control
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. current — of water
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rest — a break
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chest — a box
  16. current — happening now
  17. charge — a price
  18. current — electric
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wound — an injury
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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