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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. charge — a price
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fall — the season
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fall — to drop
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — bread
  23. charge — in control
  24. wave — of the sea

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