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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. current — electric
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. current — happening now
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. firm — steady
  14. craft — a skill
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. firm — decided
  20. craft — boats
  21. current — of water
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. firm — a company
  24. lash — an eyelash

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