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

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. current — electric
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. current — of water
  9. toast — bread
  10. last — finally
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. last — to go on
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. last — final
  19. current — happening now
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — a trail
  24. trunk — of a tree

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