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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. net — in sport
  7. date — the fruit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. can — a tin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. current — electric
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. net — for catching
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. net — after costs

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