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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. net — after costs
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. net — for catching
  18. craft — boats
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. season — in sport
  21. net — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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