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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. object — an aim
  5. present — there
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. present — the time now
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. object — to protest
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. capital — a city
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. hand — help
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. object — a thing
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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