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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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 — in control
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. charge — a price
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. object — a thing
  7. last — to go on
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bound — tied together
  10. charge — electricity
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. last — final
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bound — certain
  16. object — to protest
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. last — finally
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. object — an aim
  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