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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: cabinet · trunk · lean · wake · track · kick · coach · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — happening now
  5. track — a song
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. current — of water
  16. lean — to bend
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — in football
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — thin

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