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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cold — not warm
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. file — a document
  15. craft — boats
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — music
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. file — a tool
  20. cold — an illness
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stem — to come from
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — the 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