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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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Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. hand — help
  3. craft — a skill
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. season — of the year
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hand — in cards
  12. craft — boats
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. field — farmland
  16. dip — to sink
  17. field — for sport
  18. season — in sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. field — a subject
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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