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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — all right
  10. current — happening now
  11. lie — to recline
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fine — high quality
  15. shower — rain
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rest — what's left
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rest — a break
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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