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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: trunk · foot · bat · bark · bay · last · charge · chip

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. last — final
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. bat — the animal
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. charge — electricity
  20. last — to go on
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. foot — the bottom

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