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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bank — for money
  3. roll — a list
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. current — electric
  6. mug — to rob
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. current — happening now
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. current — of water
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — an illness
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bank — for money
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mug — a face

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