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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. charge — in control
  11. mug — to rob
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mug — a cup
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. ground — a position
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mug — a face

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