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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. current — electric
  3. root — the cause
  4. bat — the animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. firm — steady
  10. cue — a hint
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. current — happening now
  13. firm — decided
  14. key — for a lock
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cue — for pool
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. firm — a company
  23. current — of water
  24. shower — rain

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