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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. firm — steady
  5. bark — to shout
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chip — for betting
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chair — a leader
  17. craft — a skill
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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