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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: current · cap · chest · can · trunk · arm · calf · chip

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. can — to be able to
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cap — a lid
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — a box
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chip — to eat
  19. current — electric
  20. chip — for betting
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cap — a hat
  24. arm — part of the body

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