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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. object — an aim
  3. current — of water
  4. object — to protest
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. object — a thing
  7. bass — low music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bass — the fish
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. current — happening now
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. current — electric
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. toast — bread

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