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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. root — the cause
  10. stand — to bear
  11. last — finally
  12. charge — a price
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. last — to go on
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. last — final
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. season — in sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. root — of a word
  22. season — of the year
  23. charge — in control
  24. bark — to shout

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