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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — boats
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — in sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wound — an injury
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — after costs
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. deal — a big deal

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