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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rock — a stone
  10. file — a document
  11. pit — in a race
  12. charge — a price
  13. root — of a word
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pit — a hole
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. root — the cause
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rock — music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — hurry

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