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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: trunk · cell · lash · foot · current · hand · last · can

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. current — of water
  3. last — finally
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. current — electric
  8. last — final
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. can — a tin
  13. cell — a phone
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. current — happening now
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. foot — a measure

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