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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. craft — a skill
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wax — to grow
  7. firm — a company
  8. craft — boats
  9. firm — steady
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. track — a path
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. can — a tin
  22. track — a song
  23. firm — decided
  24. track — to keep track

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