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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · charge · chest · cue · snap · trunk · net · hide

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cue — a hint
  3. net — for catching
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. chest — of your body
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chest — a box
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cue — a signal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. net — in sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cue — for pool
  19. snap — to click
  20. net — after costs
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. charge — in control

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