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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 120 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: rest · band · charge · pit · ground · rush · mate · trunk

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mate — a friend
  4. charge — a price
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. band — a music group
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rest — a break
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a ring
  15. charge — in control
  16. pit — a hole
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ground — a position
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rush — a thrill

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