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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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 an elephant
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. current — electric
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stand — to bear
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. sharp — clever
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. current — happening now
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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