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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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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. capital — a city
  3. can — a tin
  4. wax — to grow
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bass — low music
  14. capital — money
  15. can — a tin
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bass — the fish
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. can — to be able to
  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