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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 124 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — happening now
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wake — a trail
  9. charge — a price
  10. game — a match
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — finally
  14. charge — electricity
  15. last — final
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — in control
  19. current — electric
  20. prune — to trim
  21. last — to go on
  22. current — of water
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — to trim

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