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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. vault — a safe
  3. charge — electricity
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — in control
  9. swing — music
  10. mine — for digging
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. swing — in golf
  15. season — in sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. season — of the year
  22. charge — a price
  23. swing — to play on
  24. season — to add flavour

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