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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. trunk — of a tree
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. staff — employees
  4. chip — to eat
  5. charge — a price
  6. plane — a tool
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rash — a series
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. charge — in control
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. staff — employees
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. dip — to sink
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rash — hasty
  23. charge — electricity
  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