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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. current — happening now
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. object — an aim
  10. hand — help
  11. date — the fruit
  12. object — a thing
  13. current — electric
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hand — in cards
  16. drill — army training
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. face — to point toward
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. drill — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. current — of water
  23. face — to confront
  24. object — to protest

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