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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. current — electric
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bank — of a river
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mark — a grade
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wax — to grow
  22. current — of water
  23. can — a tin
  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