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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rush — hurry
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — boats
  11. perch — the fish
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. track — to keep track
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. perch — for a bird

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