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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · current · rest · spell · land · mark · trunk · wake

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mark — a grade
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spell — letters
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spell — magic
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rest — a break
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rest — what's left
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wake — a trail
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. land — ground
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. current — of water
  24. wake — before a funeral

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