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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. object — an aim
  3. craft — boats
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. clip — to cut
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. spell — magic
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. roll — a list
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spell — a short time
  16. craft — a skill
  17. roll — a cake
  18. clip — a video
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. clip — for paper
  21. spell — letters
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. saw — the tool
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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