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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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · cold · trunk · arm · staff · current · charge · foot

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cold — not warm
  3. staff — employees
  4. current — electric
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. staff — a stick
  9. foot — a measure
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cold — an illness
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — in control
  15. craft — a skill
  16. charge — electricity
  17. current — happening now
  18. craft — boats
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. current — of water
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. charge — a price

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