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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — happening now
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. current — of water
  6. wake — a trail
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. current — electric
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. deal — an agreement

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