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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · current · trunk · foot · last · shower · fork · dip

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. foot — a measure
  3. current — happening now
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. last — to go on
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. current — of water
  11. last — finally
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fork — in a road
  14. last — final
  15. shower — rain
  16. current — electric
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fork — to eat with

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