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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: trunk · current · bay · deal · board · file · hide · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. current — electric
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — to get on
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cold — not warm
  14. file — a line of people
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cold — an illness
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. current — happening now
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. board — a committee
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. current — of water
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. deal — an agreement

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