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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 116 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: hide · current · fork · row · swing · nail · trunk · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. current — electric
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. current — of water
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. row — to paddle
  13. swing — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fork — in a road
  19. swing — in golf
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. current — happening now

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