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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mug — a face
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mug — a cup
  13. craft — boats
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. tear — to rip
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mug — to rob

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