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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cell — a phone
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — a division
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cell — in biology
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. mate — a partner
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. plane — a tool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. branch — 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