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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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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: face · wake · staff · swing · nail · snap · current · trunk

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. current — happening now
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. current — electric
  9. staff — employees
  10. current — of water
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. staff — a stick
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. face — to confront
  20. snap — to click
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wake — a trail
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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