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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.

Make a worksheet

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: trunk · spring · ruler · current · plane · file · stick · shower

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. current — electric
  15. file — a document
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. file — a tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. current — happening now
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. spring — a coil
  24. current — of water

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