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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 116 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 · cue · sharp · rash · charge · field · lie · calf

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. sharp — clever
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lie — to recline
  12. field — farmland
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. charge — a price
  17. rash — a series
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. field — a subject
  21. charge — in control
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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