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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. net — in sport
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. net — after costs
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. current — of water
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — for catching
  12. foot — a measure
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fan — to cool the air

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