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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bulb — for light
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mug — to rob
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mug — a face
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. craft — boats

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