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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — all right
  4. craft — boats
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rash — a series
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. shower — rain
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rash — hasty
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ball — a dance

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