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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: current · trunk · wound · dip · firm · bulb · bear · hide

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. firm — steady
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. current — happening now
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. current — of water
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. firm — a company
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. firm — decided
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wound — an injury
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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