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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. current — electric
  3. bat — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. vault — a safe
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. current — of water
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. current — happening now
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wind — moving air
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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