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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — electric
  6. chip — for betting
  7. current — of water
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. game — wild animals
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. current — happening now
  24. chip — in a computer

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