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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. current — electric
  3. game — a match
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. current — of water
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. tube — a container
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. current — happening now
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tube — the underground

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