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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. net — after costs
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. net — for catching
  8. dip — to sink
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — boats
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rash — hasty
  16. net — in sport
  17. pit — in a race
  18. toast — bread
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rash — a series
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pit — a hole

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