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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. file — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. tube — the underground
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. current — electric
  11. bore — to tire
  12. current — happening now
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bore — to drill
  16. tube — a container
  17. file — a line of people
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. file — a document
  23. sharp — clever
  24. current — of water

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