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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. sharp — exactly
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. current — electric
  8. pound — a weight
  9. sharp — clever
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bank — for money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bark — to shout
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. current — happening now
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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