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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. clip — a video
  5. charge — in control
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. clip — to cut
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. charge — electricity
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lean — to bend
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — to go on
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. clip — for paper
  18. last — finally
  19. charge — a price
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. last — final
  22. lean — thin
  23. net — after costs
  24. arm — part of the body

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