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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. track — a path
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. land — a country
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wake — a trail
  15. land — ground
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. bore — to drill
  23. calf — a young animal
  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