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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. suit — clothes
  6. clip — for paper
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. craft — boats
  10. firm — decided
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mark — a trace
  15. suit — in cards
  16. clip — to cut
  17. firm — a company
  18. clip — a video
  19. suit — to fit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pass — a permit
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pass — to succeed

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