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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mate — a friend
  6. last — final
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pound — a weight
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. chest — a box
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. mate — to breed
  18. swing — music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mate — a partner
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. charge — a price
  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