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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 120 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: kick · pitcher · foot · current · season · dip · plane · trunk

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. current — electric
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. current — of water
  8. foot — a measure
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. current — happening now
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. season — of the year
  17. dip — to sink
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — a tool
  23. kick — in football
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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