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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: clip · cabinet · trunk · nail · bay · game · current · chest

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. current — happening now
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chest — a box
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. current — electric
  13. chest — of your body
  14. current — of water
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chest — of your body
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. clip — a video
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. nail — on a finger

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