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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. spring — of water
  8. current — of water
  9. rock — music
  10. current — electric
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. spring — the season
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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