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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. object — an aim
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. tube — a container
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — to protest
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wind — moving air
  19. object — a thing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bass — low music
  22. current — of water
  23. tube — the underground
  24. chest — a box

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