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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.

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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: leaves · current · ground · trunk · pound · cabinet · straw · shower

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — to wash
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. current — of water
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. shower — rain
  18. ground — crushed
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ground — a position
  23. pound — a weight
  24. ground — the earth

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