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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mate — to breed
  7. current — electric
  8. lean — thin
  9. land — ground
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. land — to come down
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mate — a partner
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stock — shares
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. land — a country
  24. foot — a measure

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