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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. current — of water
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — electric
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lie — to recline
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — happening now
  22. rash — a series
  23. can — to be able to
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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