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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wake — a trail
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bass — the fish
  7. current — electric
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. clip — to cut
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. clip — for paper
  12. chair — a leader
  13. current — of water
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bass — low music
  18. current — happening now
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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