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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: straw · current · chair · bore · ball · trunk · lean · saw

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. current — electric
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bore — to tire
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lean — thin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. current — happening now
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ball — a dance

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