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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: cue · calf · net · charge · stand · trunk · snap · bear

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. snap — to click
  4. charge — electricity
  5. net — after costs
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. net — for catching
  10. stand — to bear
  11. net — in sport
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. charge — in control
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bear — the animal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cue — for pool

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