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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: pitcher · leaves · current · chair · trunk · hide · last · cue

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cue — a signal
  8. current — happening now
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. last — to go on
  12. cue — a hint
  13. chair — a leader
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. last — final
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. last — finally

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