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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: spell · current · wake · cabinet · mark · swing · game · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mark — a grade
  3. current — of water
  4. game — a match
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — wild animals
  7. spell — letters
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. swing — music
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wake — a trail
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. current — electric
  19. spell — magic
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. current — happening now
  22. swing — in golf
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cabinet — ministers

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