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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. object — to protest
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. object — a thing
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chair — a leader
  10. current — of water
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. object — an aim
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. current — electric
  17. branch — a division
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. current — happening now

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