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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. toast — bread
  3. squash — to crush
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. can — to be able to
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cue — a hint
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cue — for pool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bat — the animal
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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