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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — a hint
  4. charge — a price
  5. cue — for pool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. current — electric
  15. branch — a division
  16. pit — a hole
  17. charge — in control
  18. current — of water
  19. charge — electricity
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. current — happening now
  24. pit — in a race

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