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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · trunk · game · object · cap · chest · mug · stick

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. chest — a box
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. object — a thing
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cap — a hat
  8. current — happening now
  9. object — to protest
  10. mug — a face
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — a cup
  13. current — of water
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chest — of your body
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a match
  21. object — an aim
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. game — a kind of play

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