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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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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: pit · current · spell · cell · arm · bear · trunk · last

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. current — electric
  3. spell — magic
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. last — to go on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. spell — a short time
  14. last — final
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. current — happening now
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. last — finally
  22. current — of water
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bear — to put up with

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