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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. craft — boats
  3. object — a thing
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rest — what's left
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rash — a series
  13. rest — what's left
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. object — an aim
  18. rock — music
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. object — to protest
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rest — a break
  24. trunk — of a car

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