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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.

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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 · shower · stick · clip · trunk · kick · snap · bank

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. kick — in football
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bank — for money
  7. clip — for paper
  8. current — electric
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. clip — to cut
  11. current — of water
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. shower — to wash
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bank — of a river
  17. clip — a video
  18. bank — for money
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. snap — to click
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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