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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.

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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. trunk — of a tree
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. file — a document
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. date — the fruit
  12. craft — a skill
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. season — of the year
  18. file — a tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — in sport
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ball — a dance
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. craft — boats

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