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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. land — to come down
  3. track — a path
  4. land — ground
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. current — of water
  14. board — a committee
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. current — electric
  17. prune — to trim
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. land — a country
  21. current — happening now
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. shower — to wash

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