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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. date — the fruit
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. last — final
  10. mate — a friend
  11. last — to go on
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. charge — in control
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. last — finally
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mate — a partner
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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