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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. key — for a lock
  5. shower — rain
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — clever
  8. current — happening now
  9. field — a subject
  10. current — of water
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. snap — to click
  13. key — the most important part
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. field — for sport
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. key — in music
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. current — electric
  24. field — farmland

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