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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: chair · toast · trunk · calf · pit · leaves · current · date

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. current — of water
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. current — electric
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. current — happening now
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. date — the fruit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. toast — bread

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