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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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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: object · toast · arm · kick · rest · trunk · squash · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. toast — bread
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — the sport
  10. object — an aim
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. charge — in control
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. object — to protest
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. charge — electricity
  21. object — a thing
  22. kick — in football
  23. squash — to crush
  24. trunk — of a tree

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