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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: roll · trunk · arm · mouse · rule · chip · current · stem

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. rule — a law
  11. chip — for betting
  12. current — of water
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rule — government
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stem — to come from
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. roll — a list

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