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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. tube — a container
  5. rush — hurry
  6. spell — letters
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. current — of water
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. current — happening now
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hand — help
  15. pitch — completely
  16. hand — in cards
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. spell — magic

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