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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 116 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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. object — to protest
  5. hand — help
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cell — a phone
  8. object — an aim
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cell — in biology
  11. craft — boats
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rock — music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. face — part of the head
  22. object — a thing
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. face — to confront

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