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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 120 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: current · bark · trunk · mine · bulb · board · key · hide

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. key — the most important part
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. key — in music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. current — of water
  14. mine — for digging
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — electric
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bulb — for light

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