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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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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: chest · cue · cell · pit · trunk · row · charge · object

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pit — in a race
  3. charge — a price
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chest — a box
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. object — to protest
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. cell — a phone
  14. charge — electricity
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pit — a hole
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cell — in biology
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cue — a signal
  21. charge — in control
  22. cue — a hint
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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