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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. charge — in control
  4. spring — of water
  5. charge — a price
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. current — happening now
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spell — a short time
  14. current — electric
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a document
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. charge — electricity
  22. file — a tool
  23. current — of water
  24. mouse — for a computer

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