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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spring — a coil
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. current — electric
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bank — for money
  8. current — happening now
  9. swing — to play on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fork — in a road
  12. board — a committee
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — the season
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. swing — music
  17. bank — of a river
  18. swing — in golf
  19. spring — of water
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. shower — rain
  22. current — of water
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. board — to get on

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