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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. current — of water
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. current — happening now
  7. firm — decided
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. firm — steady
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. kid — child
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — to drill
  17. band — a ring
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. firm — a company
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. kid — to tease
  23. band — a music group
  24. mouse — the animal

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