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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. march — the month
  3. hand — help
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. hand — in cards
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. pound — a weight
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. march — the month
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. march — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — of the sea
  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