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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: mug · current · wake · bay · clip · lean · chair · trunk

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. current — happening now
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. clip — for paper
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. current — of water
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. current — electric
  18. lean — thin
  19. chair — a leader
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mug — a face
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. trunk — of a car

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