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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
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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: stick · hide · shower · rush · current · ruler · trunk · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. current — electric
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. current — happening now
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — of water
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. shower — to wash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rush — hurry
  22. shower — rain
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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