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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. clip — for paper
  6. object — to protest
  7. snap — to click
  8. firm — a company
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. present — there
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. present — the time now
  17. object — a thing
  18. clip — to cut
  19. craft — a skill
  20. present — a gift
  21. object — an aim
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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