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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pound — a weight
  9. staff — employees
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rock — music
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. staff — employees
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. kid — child
  24. current — of water

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