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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: wave · trunk · cabinet · current · straw · deal · snap · can

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. current — of water
  7. can — to be able to
  8. current — electric
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. current — happening now
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. snap — to click
  24. trunk — of a car

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