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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 116 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rash — hasty
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. craft — boats
  9. band — a music group
  10. prune — to trim
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rash — a series
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. staff — a stick
  18. band — a ring
  19. scale — in music
  20. staff — employees
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — size or range

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