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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 124 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. shower — to wash
  3. current — of water
  4. mark — a trace
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. current — happening now
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rest — a break
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rest — what's left
  18. shower — rain
  19. current — electric
  20. kick — in football
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wax — in the ear

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