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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: lie · cell · trunk · spell · march · charge · nail · track

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. cell — a phone
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spell — magic
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lie — to recline
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. march — music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. spell — a short time
  18. track — a path
  19. spell — letters
  20. cell — in biology
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. track — a song
  24. lie — an untruth

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