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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. craft — boats
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chip — to eat
  24. craft — a skill

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