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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stand — to bear
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. fork — in a road
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bowl — a football final

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