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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. craft — boats
  4. wind — moving air
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pop — soda
  7. bound — certain
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pop — to visit
  10. face — to confront
  11. pop — music
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — part of the head
  14. capital — a city
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wind — moving air
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bound — obliged
  19. charge — electricity
  20. capital — money
  21. bound — tied together
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. charge — a price

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