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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — of water
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. swing — to play on
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. current — happening now
  14. lean — thin
  15. board — to get on
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lean — to bend
  18. swing — music
  19. current — electric
  20. fork — in a road
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. kick — in football

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