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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 120 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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. current — of water
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. object — an aim
  7. spell — letters
  8. court — of law
  9. rock — a stone
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rock — music
  12. court — of a king
  13. current — electric
  14. press — newspapers
  15. court — for sport
  16. object — a thing
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. spell — magic
  20. press — to push
  21. current — happening now
  22. object — to protest
  23. press — a publisher
  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