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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 · toast · swing · suit · wound · rule · clip · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rule — government
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. suit — to fit
  8. clip — for paper
  9. charge — a price
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. charge — in control
  12. wound — an injury
  13. clip — to cut
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rule — a law
  17. toast — bread
  18. swing — to play on
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. swing — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wound — an injury
  23. suit — in cards
  24. clip — a video

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