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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 · rush · game · object · present · clip · trunk · dip

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. present — the time now
  4. object — an aim
  5. charge — in control
  6. present — there
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. clip — a video
  11. object — to protest
  12. clip — to cut
  13. game — wild animals
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. clip — for paper
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. object — a thing
  24. rush — a thrill

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