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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — happening now
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. current — of water
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. land — a country
  24. rash — a series

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