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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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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 · last · board · object · firm · fan · current · rock

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. firm — steady
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rock — music
  5. object — a thing
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. board — a committee
  8. current — of water
  9. firm — decided
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. last — to go on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. last — final
  17. firm — a company
  18. current — electric
  19. object — to protest
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. current — happening now
  22. object — an aim
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. board — to get on

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