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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. cap — a lid
  3. net — in sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. net — for catching
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bound — obliged
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. saw — the tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. net — after costs
  17. bound — certain
  18. craft — boats
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rest — a break
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cap — a hat

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