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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: saw · trunk · kick · object · pit · file · shower · charge

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. shower — to wash
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. file — a document
  6. shower — rain
  7. charge — a price
  8. file — a tool
  9. object — an aim
  10. charge — in control
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kick — in football
  16. pit — in a race
  17. file — a line of people
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. charge — electricity
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. object — a thing
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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