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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. drill — a practice
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. charge — a price
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wind — moving air
  10. staff — employees
  11. track — to keep track
  12. drill — the tool
  13. track — a path
  14. staff — employees
  15. track — a song
  16. drill — army training
  17. charge — electricity
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. suit — to fit
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. charge — in control
  24. wind — to turn a key

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