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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. land — to come down
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. current — of water
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. land — a country
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. current — electric
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tube — a container
  14. current — happening now
  15. pass — a permit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. land — ground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. band — a ring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. band — a music group
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. tube — the underground

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