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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 124 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. current — of water
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cold — not warm
  7. shower — rain
  8. suit — clothes
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. current — happening now
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. shower — to wash
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. roll — a list
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. roll — a cake
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. current — electric
  22. toast — bread
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cold — an illness

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