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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: face · club · object · mouse · charge · wake · kid · trunk

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. object — to protest
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. object — a thing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. club — for dancing
  10. kid — to tease
  11. club — for golf
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. charge — electricity
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. face — part of the head
  18. club — a group
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. face — to confront
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. object — an aim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kid — child

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