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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bank — for money
  4. craft — a skill
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rest — a break
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stand — to bear
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. race — a contest
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. craft — boats
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bank — of a river

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