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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. staff — employees
  5. kick — in football
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. band — a ring
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. band — a music group
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. current — electric
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. staff — a stick
  23. current — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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