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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. current — electric
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. current — happening now
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. current — of water
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. march — the month
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rest — a break
  15. kid — child
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. key — in music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. march — music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bass — low music
  23. march — the month
  24. key — for a lock

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