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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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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: lash · trunk · current · snap · board · swing · calf · cabinet

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. board — to get on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. board — a committee
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. swing — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. current — happening now
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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