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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ground — a position
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. staff — employees
  23. ground — crushed
  24. trunk — of a tree

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