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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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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: spring · charge · kid · rule · trunk · tear · drill · wave

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. drill — a practice
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. charge — a price
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rule — a law
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rule — government
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. spring — of water
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. kid — child
  19. spring — the season
  20. charge — electricity
  21. drill — army training
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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