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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 116 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: squash · lie · trunk · can · hand · charge · pit · bore

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. charge — a price
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hand — in cards
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — in control
  16. can — to be able to
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — a hole
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. can — a tin

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