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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bore — to tire
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. object — a thing
  5. current — of water
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. capital — a city
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — electric
  13. capital — money
  14. object — an aim
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. current — happening now
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bore — to drill
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. trunk — of a car

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