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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · court · current · stock · wind · trunk · kick · drill

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. court — for sport
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. current — of water
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. drill — the tool
  8. court — of a king
  9. kick — in football
  10. current — electric
  11. stock — goods
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stock — shares
  14. court — of law
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. drill — army training
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. current — happening now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wind — moving air
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — moving air

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