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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mug — a cup
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. current — happening now
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. hand — help
  14. mug — a face
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. fall — the season
  17. current — electric
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pound — a weight
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — of water
  24. nail — on a finger

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