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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. kick — in football
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. land — a country
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. saw — the tool
  14. land — ground
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. charge — a price
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. saw — the tool
  23. toast — bread
  24. mate — a partner

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