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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. current — electric
  9. bulb — for light
  10. branch — a division
  11. rash — hasty
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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