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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
468
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: perch · trunk · leaves · wake · hand · fan · current · tube

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hand — help
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. wake — a trail
  13. current — electric
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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