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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: pit · saw · trunk · clip · lean · tube · fall · current

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lean — thin
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. fall — the season
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. clip — a video
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — the underground
  18. current — happening now
  19. lean — to bend
  20. clip — to cut
  21. tube — a container
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. clip — for paper
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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