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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — a coil
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. spring — the season
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — of water
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. content — the amount
  16. suit — clothes
  17. craft — boats
  18. rock — music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. content — happy
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rock — a stone
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rash — a series

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