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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. row — to paddle
  4. object — an aim
  5. stock — goods
  6. object — to protest
  7. craft — boats
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stock — shares
  11. wind — moving air
  12. object — a thing
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. row — a line
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bass — low music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bass — the fish
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stock — a soup base

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