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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. current — of water
  3. suit — to fit
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. current — happening now
  7. last — finally
  8. current — electric
  9. net — for catching
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ball — a dance
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fine — all right
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wake — a trail

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