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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. current — happening now
  5. kick — in football
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. current — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fine — all right
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. current — electric
  13. spring — of water
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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