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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. object — to protest
  4. craft — boats
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hand — in cards
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fall — the season
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. hand — help
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. object — an aim
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fall — to drop

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