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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: squash · racket · saw · charge · sharp · bark · trunk · dip

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. saw — the tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. squash — the sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. sharp — clever
  14. charge — in control
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bark — to shout
  24. squash — to crush

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