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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. craft — boats
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. spring — of water
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — the season

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