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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. charge — electricity
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lie — to recline
  5. file — a tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. shower — to wash
  8. firm — steady
  9. charge — a price
  10. current — electric
  11. charge — in control
  12. current — happening now
  13. bass — low music
  14. firm — a company
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. firm — decided
  20. file — a document
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. current — of water
  24. shower — rain

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