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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wound — an injury
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. hand — in cards
  6. craft — boats
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. key — in music
  9. craft — a skill
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. suit — to fit
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cell — in biology
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rule — government
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wound — an injury
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. hand — help
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rule — a law

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