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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wind — moving air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. kid — to tease
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. kid — child
  24. calf — a young animal

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