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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spring — of water
  3. craft — a skill
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spring — the season
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. spring — a coil
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. craft — boats
  24. straw — a straw man

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