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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.

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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. net — after costs
  4. rest — a break
  5. tear — to rip
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chip — for betting
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. tear — from crying
  13. craft — boats
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. net — for catching
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. craft — a skill
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — to eat
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. net — in sport
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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