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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spring — a coil
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. spring — the season
  8. land — ground
  9. game — a match
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. land — a country
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. land — to come down
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. spring — of water
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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