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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: toast · land · charge · track · trunk · wave · saw · bore

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. toast — bread
  5. charge — in control
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. land — a country
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bore — to tire
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. charge — a price
  14. land — ground
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. track — a path
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. track — a song
  21. bore — to drill
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. charge — electricity

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