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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. current — happening now
  3. last — final
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. current — electric
  15. cell — in biology
  16. last — finally
  17. firm — steady
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cell — a phone
  23. current — of water
  24. wound — an injury

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