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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. bound — tied together
  5. scale — size or range
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. spring — the season
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spring — a coil
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bound — certain
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. charge — electricity
  18. scale — in music
  19. charge — in control
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. trunk — of a car

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