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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. charge — a price
  9. last — final
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. march — the month
  12. rash — a series
  13. last — finally
  14. roll — a list
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — in control
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. charge — electricity
  19. kick — in football
  20. last — to go on
  21. rash — hasty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. march — music

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