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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · lie · foot · trunk · arm · net · deal · last

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. last — to go on
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. charge — a price
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. charge — in control
  11. last — final
  12. net — after costs
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — finally
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. net — for catching
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. net — in sport
  24. lie — to recline

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