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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. current — of water
  11. wake — a trail
  12. current — electric
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. content — happy
  16. charge — a price
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — in control
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. charge — electricity
  23. content — the amount
  24. fan — a supporter

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