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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. file — a tool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. current — happening now
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. file — a line of people
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. kick — in football
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. roll — a cake
  22. file — a document
  23. roll — a list
  24. temple — a place of worship

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