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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. current — electric
  8. spring — of water
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. current — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rule — a law
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. current — happening now
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rule — government
  24. bore — to drill

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