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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. shower — rain
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. shower — to wash
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. snap — to click
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tube — a container
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. craft — boats
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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