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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. craft — boats
  4. land — ground
  5. bark — to shout
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. firm — a company
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. present — a gift
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. present — the time now
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. present — there

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