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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — of water
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bank — of a river
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bank — for money
  22. current — electric
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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