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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. race — humankind
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. current — of water
  5. pit — a hole
  6. current — electric
  7. race — the arms race
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. file — a tool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. file — a document
  13. race — a contest
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — in a race
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. current — happening now
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pop — soda
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pop — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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