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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: current · arm · wind · rash · jam · file · pitcher · trunk

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rash — a series
  4. file — a tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. file — a line of people
  8. current — electric
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rash — hasty
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wind — moving air
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. current — happening now
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. current — of water
  24. jam — in traffic

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