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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 120 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. craft — a skill
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. object — to protest
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. object — an aim
  13. fine — high quality
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. content — the amount
  18. fine — all right
  19. object — a thing
  20. content — happy
  21. band — a ring
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. craft — boats
  24. content — videos and posts

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