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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: charge · track · mug · mate · straw · wound · suit · trunk

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. charge — a price
  3. suit — in cards
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. track — a path
  6. mug — a face
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mug — to rob
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mug — a cup
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mate — to breed
  21. charge — in control
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. charge — electricity
  24. track — a song

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