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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: toast · trunk · ground · pit · can · current · hand · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. current — happening now
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — of water
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. toast — bread
  8. pit — a hole
  9. can — a tin
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. can — to be able to
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. ground — the earth
  16. current — electric
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ground — a position
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ground — crushed
  22. can — a tin
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pit — in a race

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