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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 116 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: wake · ground · present · trunk · nail · rock · current · squash

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rock — music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — there
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ground — the earth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. present — a gift
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ground — a position
  19. present — the time now
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. current — electric
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. nail — for a hammer

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