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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wake · mouse · ground · track · kick · trunk · bay

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. track — a song
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. track — a path
  9. ground — a position
  10. kick — in football
  11. charge — a price
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. ground — the earth
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wake — a trail
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kick — 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