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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 · spring · trunk · face · can · ground · game · tube

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. tube — the underground
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ground — the earth
  7. spring — of water
  8. face — part of the head
  9. tube — a container
  10. game — a match
  11. ground — crushed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ground — a position
  15. face — to confront
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — happening now
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spring — the season
  20. current — electric
  21. spring — a coil
  22. game — wild animals
  23. current — of water
  24. can — a tin

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