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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. tube — a container
  6. hand — in cards
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stand — to bear
  16. branch — a division
  17. hand — help
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pit — a hole
  24. branch — of a bank

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