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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. date — the fruit
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. present — a gift
  9. squash — the sport
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. craft — boats
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bore — to tire
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bore — to drill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. track — a song

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