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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
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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 · trunk · hand · stick · last · coach · straw · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. hand — in cards
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. hand — help
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. last — to go on
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. last — final
  11. current — happening now
  12. last — finally
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rule — a law
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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