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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kick — in football
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a ring
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. current — electric
  15. stand — to bear
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. current — happening now

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