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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: safe · charge · object · scale · tear · press · trunk · present

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. press — to push
  3. present — a gift
  4. object — an aim
  5. present — the time now
  6. charge — electricity
  7. tear — from crying
  8. charge — in control
  9. press — a publisher
  10. scale — in music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. present — there
  20. charge — a price
  21. press — newspapers
  22. tear — to rip
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. scale — size or range

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