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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — a path
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. craft — boats
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fall — the season
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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