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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rest — a break
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stock — shares
  10. rest — what's left
  11. band — a music group
  12. clip — a video
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — boats
  16. stock — goods
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rest — what's left
  19. clip — for paper
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. band — a ring
  23. saw — the tool
  24. craft — a skill

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