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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · staff · wake · tube · bore · stick · cap · trunk

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cap — a hat
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cap — a lid
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. current — of water
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. current — happening now
  19. tube — the underground
  20. staff — employees
  21. cap — of ice
  22. staff — employees
  23. current — electric
  24. wake — a trail

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