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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — clever
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. row — a line
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. current — happening now
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. row — to paddle
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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