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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wind — moving air
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — clever
  11. net — in sport
  12. bass — low music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bass — the fish
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. craft — boats
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. craft — a handicraft

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