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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. can — a tin
  2. scale — in music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. can — to be able to
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hand — help
  23. can — a tin
  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