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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fork — in a road
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. current — happening now
  17. branch — a division
  18. content — the amount
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. branch — of a bank

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