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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 116 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
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: lean · hide · game · wind · current · mouse · saw · trunk

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. current — electric
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wind — moving air
  6. game — a match
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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