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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. current — electric
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — hurry
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fork — in a road
  18. current — of water
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cap — a lid
  22. current — happening now
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of a car

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