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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: hide · swing · ball · current · cell · temple · trunk · root

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. cell — a phone
  3. current — electric
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. swing — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cell — in biology
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. root — of a word
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. current — happening now
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. root — the cause
  16. current — of water
  17. ball — a great time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. swing — in golf
  23. ball — a dance
  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