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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mark — a trace
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. can — a tin
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. root — of a plant
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. current — of water
  15. wake — a trail
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mark — a grade
  21. kick — in football
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. current — happening now
  24. trunk — of a tree

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