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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. charge — in control
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — a price
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rock — music
  10. spring — the season
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. spring — of water
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mug — a face
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — a cup
  24. trunk — of a car

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