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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: trunk · lie · file · charge · march · mate · calf · row

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. row — a line
  3. charge — a price
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — electricity
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. file — a document
  10. march — the month
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lie — to recline
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mate — a partner
  17. row — to paddle
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a tool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mate — to breed
  24. file — a line of people

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