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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. scale — in music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. current — electric
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — size or range
  14. current — happening now
  15. bore — to drill
  16. current — of water
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. clip — to cut

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