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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. kid — child
  18. mark — a grade
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. craft — a skill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — to tease
  23. dip — to sink
  24. racket — a loud noise

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