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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: trunk · bound · safe · game · wave · current · pit · rush

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. current — electric
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. game — a match
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pit — in a race
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bound — obliged
  17. current — happening now
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. current — of water
  22. bound — certain
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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